Friday, April 29, 2011

I don't disagree with him. I can't say it any more plainly. We shouldn't be passing legislation that targets obesity. Such legislation undoubtedly will just fuel further bias and stereotype and will almost certainly do more harm than good.

Am I an oxymoron? (And yes, I realize many readers may be giggling and thinking, no, you're just a moron).

I don't think so.

The reason I don't think so is that all of those legislative efforts, they're only "fat taxes" and "obesity legislation" if you look at them through obesity blinders.

Yes, all of those interventions on paper might impact on obesity, but none of them target obesity, instead they target unhealthy products and unhealthy behaviours - products and behaviours that are unhealthy for everyone, not just for individuals with obesity.

All Canadians ought to drink less sugar sweetened beverages. All Canadians ought to exercise more. All Canadians would benefit from shifting agricultural subsidies to make healthy foods cheaper and unhealthy foods more expensive. All Canadian children should to be protected from predatory advertising. And all Canadians could stand to be empowered with caloric information at point of sale.

So let's stop talking about fat taxes and obesity legislation, and instead let's take a step back and recognize that these initiatives are there to empower, encourage and persuade healthier lifestyles both for persons with obesity and for persons without. We need to stop talking about them in terms of obesity as to do so is unfair, inaccurate, and potentially dangerous.

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About Me

Family doc, Assistant Prof. at the University of Ottawa, Author of The Diet Fix, and founder of Ottawa's non-surgical Bariatric Medical Institute - a multi-disciplinary, ethical, evidence-based nutrition and weight management centre. Nowadays I'm more likely to stop drugs than start them. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.

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